Free pancakes today at IHOP

It's IHOP's National Pancake Day, and participating restaurants will be serving up a free short stack of buttermilk pancakes to anyone who asks from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. today -- and all you need to do is make a voluntary donation to support Shriners Hospitals for Children.

There are a dozen IHOPs in the metro area, including stores at 1595 South Colorado Boulevard and 3730 Quebec Street. Find a complete list of locations here.

IHOP served four million free pancakes on National Pancake Day 2011 -- enough to create a stack of pancakes nearly sixteen feet high -- and customers donated more than $2.5 million to children's charities, exceeding the fundraising goal of $2.3 million. This year's goal is $2.7 million, which would push the pancake donations to over $10 million since the start of National Pancake Day in 2006.

To get another taste of what's on this week's culinary calendar, click here.